Deployment of cruiser Princeton delayed six months

The Navy has delayed the deployment of the carrier Nimitz by about six months due to a serious mechancial problem, which in turn will delay the departure of one of its key escort ships, the San Diego-based cruiser Princeton.

The Nimitz and Princeton had been scheduled to deploy together in January, and joint training had been going well off Southern California, says the Navy. But officials decided that they cannot wait to repair a pump that's been performing poorly in the carrier's propulsion system.

Three other San Diego ships have been operating with Nimitz -- the destroyers Higgins, Stockdale and William P. Lawrence. The Navy says they will deploy to the western Pacific early next year, as scheduled.

The Nimitz's problems means that there will be a two month period in which the US. has one carrier in the Persian Gulf instead of two, as normal. The Eisenhower will be sent to the Gulf in February to join the Stennis.

The Nimitz operated out of San Diego from late 2001 to late 2010, then was shifted to Everett, Washington. The carrier recently pulled into port, but the Navy says the repairs are likely to be made at a large shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.

The Nimitz visited San Diego in mid-November, at the end of war games off Southern California that were designed to prepare the ship and its strike group to operate in the gulf. At the time, Rear Adm. Pete Gumataotao, who led the Nimitz strike group, issued a statement saying, "I am confident with the integrated training we received we are now fully capable and combat ready to quickly respond to any maritime operation."

But the AP reports that the carrier developed problems during "pre-deployment maneuvers" with its propulsion system during the exercises.